Sectional wood building



Oct. 3, 1944. N. T. MacKENZlE SECTIONAL woon BUILDING Fild March 20,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0d. 3, 1944. I MacKENZlE 2,359,715

SECTIONAL WOOD BUILDING Patented Oct. 3, 1944 SECTIONAL WOOD BUILDINGNeal T. MacKenzie, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to General Timber Service,Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a

corporation of Delaware Application March 2-0, 1942, Serial No. 435,5399 Claims. (01. 20-12) This invention relates to a sectional woodbuilding particularly although not exclusively adapted for use as agrain storage bin.

It is an object of the invention to provide a Wooden building having amultiplicity of novel wall units adapted to form a substantiallycylindrical structure which will withstand outward pressure from withinsuch as that produced when the building is filled with grain.

Another object is to provide in a building of this class novel,prefabricated wall sections adapted to be erected and fastened togetherquickly and easily.

A further object is to provide for such buildings an improved jointwhich will remain closed under severe outward pressure and otherstresses to which it is subjected, including those due to the swellingand shrinking of the wood.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates one of my improved buildings in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan View of the same with portions of the floor androof removed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a panel or wall section having a dooropening;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a vertical edge of one of the wallpanels;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of the panels with portions of theexterior sheathing removed;

Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the panels;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 'l! of Fig. 2 and on alarger scale;

Fig. 8 is an interior elevation of one of the metal fastening devicesand adjacent portions of a vertical joint between panels; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my improved building has a multiplicity ofplane, rectangular wall panels l joined together at their vertical edgesto form an approximately cylindrical enclosure. The lower edges of theseveral panels rest on a suitable floor ll provided with joists l2resting on posts 13 or other suitable foundation members. A sectionalroof l4 and a ventilator l are also provided but the present inventiondoes not relate to these parts of the building or to the floorconstruction.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the wall panels i0 is formedfrom horizontally extending, interior sheathin members It and verticallyextending, exterior sheathing members I! secured together in overlappingrelation. The several members l6 and I1 are preferably constructed fromstock of nominal one inch thickness, with the wood grain extendinglongitudinally as in ordinary lumber. Tongue and groove connections arepreferable between members I! and the entire surfaces of contact betweenthese outer members and the inner members l6 may be glued to increasethe rigidity of the panels; although nailing of the inner and outermembers together has been found to be sufficient in most cases.

The door panel shown in Fig. 3 is like the others except that it has asuitable rectangular opening l8 formed by cutting away portions of outersheathin members l9 and inner sheathing members 20. To afford an amplenumber of continuous reinforcing members crossways of the door, a numberof the inner sheathing members 2| are extended entirely across the dooropening and panel.

Extending parallel to each of the vertical edges of the several panelsI0 is a row of holes 22 for bolts 23. These holes are spaced asubstantial distance from the vertical edge surfaces 24 of the panelsand these surfaces are formed to lie in vertical planes through thecenter of the building and to fit together, as best shown in Fig. 9.Each joint between panels has a batten strip 25 covering the endportions of the adjoining members on their inner surfaces from top tobottom and a number of rigid bars 26 extend across each of the strips 25to coact with the bolts 23 in fastening the panels together. Offset ends2! of each bar 26 are adapted to be impressed into the inner surfaces ofthe sheathing members Hi and each bar has a pair of perforations toreceive a pair of the bolts 23 which converge in ward and have nuts 28threaded on their inner ends. The holes 22 are preferably arranged toextend substantially perpendicularly to the panels in which they areformed so that when the adoining panels are erected at an obtuse angleto each other the projecting inner ends of each pair of bolts 23converge at an acute angle to each other.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, anchor strip 29 may be fastened in spaced,parallel relation to the outer edges of the floor H so that the loweredges of the panels I!) may be placed in abutment with these strips. Adoor 30 (Fig. l) of ordinary or suitable construction is provided forthe opening l8 of the door panel.

Mass production of my improved buildings is facilitated byprefabricating the several wall panels in appropriate sizes so thatthese plane, rigid units may be stored and shipped compactly and handledand erected easily by two men. It

will be understood that such prefabrication involves the use of jigs andline production methods which insure uniformity in dimensions andaccuracy in operations such as the drilling of the holes 22 in theseveral panels. To erect one of my improved buildings, the foundationand floor may be constructed in the usual manner and then the floorstrips 29 may be fastened in place. The batten strips 25 may be fastenedto alternate panels as part of the prefabricating operation or they maybe attached at any time before the panels are erected.

The panels II] are erected successively in engagement with the outersurfaces of the several strips 29. nected to another by appropriatemanipulation of the bolts 23 and bars 26, the edge surfaces 24 beingdrawn into abutment with each other by inserting the bolts 23 in theperforations 22, applying the metal bars 26 to the inner ends of thebolts and tightening the nuts 28. As the bolts 23 converge inward, theapplication of the bars 26 to the inner ends of these bolts may be actheroof l4 and ventilator l5 may be constructed or fastened in place.

v It will be evident that I provide a number of vertically spaced rowsof inner sheathing members extending, end to end, completely around theAs each panel is placed it is con strip overlapping the inner surfacesof the ends of said members and means for fastening said units togethercomprising a multiplicity of metal bars extending across said battenstrip in contact therewith and severally in engagement with saidsheathing members of the respective units and means connecting theendportions of said bars to said units respectively.

3. In a wood building of the class described, a

plurality of Wall units disposed at an obtuse angle to each other andeach having wood members disposed end to end with such members of theadjoining unit, a strip overlapping the inner surfaces of end portionsof said members and means for fastening said units together comprising ametal bar extending across said strip in contact therewith, ofi'set endportions on said bar adapted to be impressed into the wood of theadjoining members of the respective units and means connecting said barto said units respectively and for forcibly impressing the end portionsof said bar into said members.

4. In a building of the class described, a plurality of planesubstantially rectangular wall units disposed at 'an obtuse angle toeach other and each having horizontally extending inner sheathingmembers overlapping and secured to vertically extending outer sheathingmembers and means for joining the side edges of said units togethercomprising a strip overlapping the several inner sheathing members alongthe joint, a plurality of metal bars extending across said edges inengagement with said strip and with inner sheathing members of therespective units and means connecting the end portions of said 7 bars tosaid units respectively.

building and the members in'each row are joined I tially removed fromthe edges of the panels. By

this arrangement a part of the stress which would otherwise be appliedto the bolts 23 is distributed directly to the horizontally extendingwood members.

It will be understood that the vertical load is borne by the outersheathing members I! wherein the grain of the wood extends Vertically.Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In a wood building of the class described, a

plurality of plane Wall units disposed at an obtuse angle to each otherand each having horizontally extending wood members disposed end to endwith such members of the adjoining unit. a batten strip overlapping andaligning the ends of said members and means for fasteningthe side edgesof said units together comprising metal bars extending across saidbatten strip in contact therewith and in engagement with the members ofthe respective units and means connecting the ends portions of said barsto said units respectively.

2. In a wood building of the class described, a plurality of planesubstantially rectangular wall units disposed at an obtuseangle to eachother and each having a complete inner sheathing of horizontallyextending wood members, a batten edges of the panels and means extendingthrough 5. In a wood building of the class described, a plurality ofplane substantially rectangular wall units disposed at an obtuse angleto each other and each having horizontallyextending inner sheathingmembers overlapping and secured to vertically extending outer sheathingmembers, the grain of the several members extending longitudinallythereof and means for joining the sideedges of said units togethercomprising a strip overlapping the several inner sheathing members alongthe joint, a plurality of metal bars extending across said edges inengagement with said strip and with inner sheathing members of therespective units and bolts connecting the end portions of said bars tosaid units respectively, said bolts converging obliquely inward andhaving nuts threaded on their inner ends whereby the edges of the unitsmay be forcibly drawn together and sealed against said strip.

6. A grain bin comprising, a multiplicity of plane, substantiallyrectangular panels severally disposed in vertical planes and at obtuseangles to each other, each of said panels comprising substantiallyhorizontally extending inner sheathing members secured to outersheathing members and means for joining the vertical edges of saidpanels together comprising, metal bars extending horizontally inengagement with the inner surfaces of the adjoining panels, each of saidbars having offset portions adapted to be impressed into the innersheathing members of adjoining panels at points spaced from theperforations in the bars for connecting each bar to the adjoiningpanels.

7. A grain bin comprising, a multiplicity of plane, substantiallyrectangular panels severally disposed in' vertical planes and at obtuseangles to each other to form the walls of the bin, each of said panelscomprising substantially horizontally extending inner sheathing memberssecured to outer sheathing members and means for joining the verticaledges of said panels together comprising, a strip extending along eachjoint in engagement with the ends of the adjoining inner sheathingmembers, metal bars extending across said strips in contact therewithand in engagement with the inner surfaces of the adjoining panels andmeans extending through perforations in the panels and bars forconnecting each bar to the adjoining panels, a series of said bars beingdisposed in a horizontal row around the bin to form with the innersheathing members a continuous, peripheral, reinforcing structure.

8. In a sectional building, plane wall units disposed at an obtuse angleto each other and each having wooden tension members disposed with thegrain of the wood in end to end relation to that of similar members ofthe adjoining unit, metal bars extending across the joint between unitsin engagement with the tension members of the respective units andwithin the obtuse angle between them, offset end portions formed on saidbars to be impressed into the cross grain of said members at pointsspaced from the ends thereof and means for fastening said bars to thetension members and for forcibly impressing said oifset portions intoflat surfaces of said members to form interlocking indentations thereinwhen the joint is closed.

9. The structure defined in claim 8 in which said fastening meanscomprise bolts engaging the bars and tension members, extending throughperforations spaced from the joint between units and convergingobliquely inward within the angle formed by the said tension members andnuts threaded on said bolts whereby the units may be drawn forciblytogether at 20 the joint by turning the nuts on the bolts.

NEAL T. MACKENZIE.

